Practice Makes Perfect
by Lodylodylody
Summary: Barry and Marci are dating. Cyd and Shelby are happy for them...until Marci asks Cyd for a surprising favor. Cyd is stunned by the request...and also can't figure out why Shelby finds it so upsetting.


Shelby and Cyd were in their bedroom when they heard am unexpected voice calling to them from downstairs.

"Hey, it's Marci. Can I come up?"

"Sure," Shelby answered back even as she exchanged a curious look with Cyd. While both girls liked Marci and socialized with her plenty in and out of school...she was rarely inside their house.

"What's up?" Cyd asked as the thin Asian girl entered their room. "I figured you'd be next door with Barry...working on your 'chemistry'."

Cyd made little air quotes with her fingers as she said the last word, even though she knew the joke would probably be lost on their guest. For while Marci was dating their good friend and neighbor Barry, both of them were so fond of science that even when they were alone together, chances were greater that they were doing some sort of research rather than being romantic.

However while Cyd was right about Marci not noticing her joke, she was as unprepared as Shelby for the response she gave.

"No, we didn't have any chemistry homework today," the girl stated. "Barry and I were making out."

"You know," Shelby said after a moment. "All these years we've known each other, you'd think we'd be used to your utter lack of self-consciousness."

"Barry says my bluntness is endearing," the thin girl responded. "He may be biased though."

"So things are going well for you two?" Cyd asked.

"Yes, but there is room for improvement. Which is why I'm here." She turned her full attention to Cyd. "I'd like to ask you a favor."

"Well, if I can help, I'd be glad to," the brunette girl replied. "Especially if the favor involves eating or napping. I'm really good at those things."

Shelby let out a short laugh at Cyd's response and then waited to hear what sort of favor Marci had in mind.

"You know Barry and I have a lot in common," their guest explained. "Unfortunately, one of those things is that we both haven't had much experience when it comes to kissing. While I can't say that the kissing we've done together hasn't been enjoyable, I'd really like to 'up my game' as it were. That way I can know what I'm doing and help Barry improve as well."

"Um...okay," Cyd replied. "So how am I supposed to help you with that?"

A brief moment of puzzlement appeared on Marci's face. "By helping me practice my kissing...obviously."

"WHAT?"

Shelby was just as shocked as her best friend. "You mean...you want to...make out with Cyd?"

"Yes," Marci answered calmly. "What's so hard to understand?"

"Uh, I don't know...everything!" Cyd answered. "And why are you asking me?"

"Yeah," Shelby added in an agitated voice. "Why'd you go to Cyd?"

"Cyd's the logical choice," Marci stated. "I needed someone I could trust. A good friend. And naturally I needed a girl."

"Wait, why a girl?" Cyd asked, feeling quite flustered by the whole situation.

"Kissing another guy would feel like I was being disloyal to Barry."

"But why me and not another girl?" the brunette went on. "Why not Shelby?"

The blonde shot Cyd an annoyed look then, though Cyd had noticed that Shelby had seemed highly annoyed even before that.

"I trust Shelby too," Marci explained. "But you're much more of a tomboy than she is, so kissing you would be a better approximation of what it's like to kiss Barry."

Cyd sputtered a bit at this. "You think kissing me would be like kissing a guy?"

"Not most guys," came the answer. "Keep in mind, Barry is a bit delicate."

Cyd shrugged, "Well, you do have a point there."

Unfortunately, Marci took that comment as agreement to her request.

"Thank you. I'm so glad you see it my way," she said before plopping down on the bed next to Cyd and crashing her lips into the stunned girl.

Shelby stared in shocked silence at the scene, not that ether of the other girls noticed. Cyd was frozen in surprise, and Marci was throwing herself into her 'practice'.

Even as Cyd's mind was telling her that this couldn't be happening, other parts of her were beginning to respond. Marci may not have been experienced, but it quickly became clear that she wasn't hesitant. She was enthusiastic, and almost methodical, as she moved her lips against Cyd's own...experimenting, exploring. Finding out what she enjoyed the most, and taking note of Cyd's reactions at the same time.

And reactions there were, for Cyd found herself enjoying the other girl's attentions. In truth, she wasn't overly experienced herself when it came to kissing, and Marci's efforts were giving her quite an education. She offered no resistance as Marci's tongue teased her mouth open. She responded by bringing her own tongue into play, and the resulting sensation made her tingle all over. She pressed her body closer to the other girl as she felt Marci's arms start to embrace her and let out a gasp of surprised pleasure when the other girl's fingers grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled roughly, causing her to move her head in sich a way that Marci was able to attack her lips from a new angle.

Cyd had no idea how long it all lasted...but it did end as unexpectedly and abruptly as it began. One moment, everything was hot and heavy...the next, Marci was no longer holding her and was standing once again.

"Thanks Cyd," she said brightly, though still rather calmly, considering how passionate her actions had been just an instant before. "That was exactly what I was hoping for. I'm sure I have the hang of this now."

"Ye...ye...yeah," Cyd's replied in an unsteady voice. "Gl...glad to help."

"You're a great friend," Marci said as she turned and left. She called out "Thanks again," after vanishing down the stairs.

Cyd sat in silence for some time before it dawned on her that Shelby had not said a word. When she finally looked over to her best friend, she saw the blonde staring at her with an expression full of shock and...anger?

"Shelbs?"

"How could you let her do that?" The question was almost hissed out in a tone filled with outrage.

"Let her?" Cyd protested. "She didn't give me a choice!"

"You didn't seem like you were fighting her!"

"I was too surprised to fight! I was too surprised to do anything!" Cyd paused before continuing in a quieter voice. "At first."

"Yeah," the blonde said. "I saw what you were doing."

"It was just...practice," Cyd offered. "What are you so mad about anyway?"

"Because I..." Shelby hesitated a while, unable to put her feelings into words. "I just am!"

"Would you stop already?" Cyd said in a slightly more forceful tone. "This whole thing is weird enough already."

The anger began to leave Shelby's expression as she walked slowly towards Cyd's bed and finally sat down next to her.

"Are you...okay?" the blonde asked.

Cyd nodded. "It was just weird."

"It was weird for me too." Shelby paused. "You seemed to enjoy it."

"I...I did," the brunette admitted.

"You want to know what the weirdest part for me was? It was when I was watching Marci kissing you, and getting really angry about it."

"Why'd it make you angry?"

"Oh that was the highlight of the weirdness," Shelby explained. "That moment when I realized I was thinking: 'Cyd is my best friend! If she's going to kiss another girl...it should be me!'"

Cyd turned to look into Shelby's eyes.

"Did I just make this weirder?" the blonde asked.

"Oh yeah," Cyd answered. "But...you're saying you were jealous?"

Shelby nodded.

"And you're saying, you..." Cyd stopped in mid-sentence, wondering for a moment if this whole incident was some sort of hallucination on her part. At last though, she asked the question.

"You're saying that you want to kiss me?"

Shelby looked at her and blushed. "Yes."

"Wow," Cyd said quietly.

The two sat together without saying a word for some time, avoiding eye contact for the most part. Eventually Cyd turned her body and inched closer to her best friend. "Let's just be clear on one thing."

Shelby looked at her questioningly.

"When we do this," Cyd said seriously. "It's not for practice. It's for real."

The blonde nodded. "For real."

Then they kissed. The first kiss of many.

 **The End.  
**

 _ **author's note:** Just some fluff. I hope you liked it. Please review._


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